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05 – Rosh Hashanah

The first day of the seventh month of the Jewish caledar is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and marks the beginning of the Jewish “High Holy Days” and “Ten Days of Repentance”. (Yes, their first month takes place in Abib/Nisan 7 months earlier, but still, this is their new year, so don’t let that throw you.)

In stark contrast to the other lively and festive Jewish celebrations throughout the year, this “Feast of Trumpets” is a solemn occasion, marked by fasting, prayer, and ten days of reflection and repentance in preparation for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement – the most significant Jewish holiday). The theme of Rosh Hashana is the acknowledgement of God as king, and each worshiper seeks to have God as his king and personally asks God to accept their loyalty. The primary observance of the feast is the sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn) which serves as both a call to repentance and an announcement of the people’s coronation of their king. See and for more details.

Not content to be left alone, in addition to the Levitical requirements, Rosh Hashana has picked up some extra traditions along the way:
– Depending on which Rabbi you follow, Rosh Hashanah is either the day that God created the universe, or earth or man.
– It’s the new year for people, animals and legal contracts.
– It’s a special Sabbath day, where no work was to be done.
– It’s the day of Judgment, where all people pass before God for judgment.
– On this day, God opens three books. In one, the deeds of man are written, and based on this, God then writes the names of the righteous in the Book of Life. The wicked are blotted out. The intermediate are given ten days to reflect, repent and become righteous.

Naturally most of these aspects of Rosh Hashanah come from tradition and not Scripture, but nonetheless, the feast draws its worshipers to reflect on their sin, their need for repentance and atonement, and a commitment to holy living for the new year.

Shadow and Substance

We’re told in the Scriptures that all these feasts and observances are but a reflection of Christ Himself (), so… what does Rosh Hashanah have to do with Jesus?

I’m so glad you asked!

Remember that Rosh Hashanah is known as the Day of Judgment. In the Book of Revelation (17:8; 20:12-15; 21:27), we see that a book is opened and all unbelievers are judged according to their deeds as written in that book. And anyone whose name was not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the Lake of Fire. This book belongs to the Lamb – ie, Christ.

We also know that the Father gave the Son authority to judge everyone, and that anyone who personally accepts Jesus as their King will pass from death to life. (; ) In other words, through our acceptance of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for our sins, Jesus becomes the fulfillment of this Old Testament feast that draws us to focus on repentance, judgment and atonement.

This attention to trumpets and judgment is one of several reasons that some people speculate that Jesus’ return may take place on Rosh Hashanah:

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.(, ESV)

As you might guess, a number of other passages carry this same theme of Jesus coming on Judgment Day:

[same chapter quoted by Peter in to talk about the last days];

Mat 24:31

Stay tuned for Yom Kippur in ten days….

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.” (ESV)

29:1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. (ESV)

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (ESV)

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. (ESV)

4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: (ESV)

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (ESV)

2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion;sound an alarm on my holy mountain!Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,2 a day of darkness and gloom,a day of clouds and thick darkness!Like blackness there is spread upon the mountainsa great and powerful people;their like has never been before,nor will be again after themthrough the years of all generations.

3 Fire devours before them,and behind them a flame burns.The land is like the garden of Eden before them,but behind them a desolate wilderness,and nothing escapes them.

4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,and like war horses they run.5 As with the rumbling of chariots,they leap on the tops of the mountains,like the crackling of a flame of firedevouring the stubble,like a powerful armydrawn up for battle.

6 Before them peoples are in anguish;all faces grow pale.7 Like warriors they charge;like soldiers they scale the wall.They march each on his way;they do not swerve from their paths.8 They do not jostle one another;each marches in his path;they burst through the weaponsand are not halted.9 They leap upon the city,they run upon the walls,they climb up into the houses,they enter through the windows like a thief.

10 The earth quakes before them;the heavens tremble.The sun and the moon are darkened,and the stars withdraw their shining.11 The Lord utters his voicebefore his army,for his camp is exceedingly great;he who executes his word is powerful.For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;who can endure it?

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,“return to me with all your heart,with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”Return to the Lord your God,for he is gracious and merciful,slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;and he relents over disaster.14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,and leave a blessing behind him,a grain offering and a drink offeringfor the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;consecrate a fast;call a solemn assembly; (ESV)

2:1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,and your young men shall see visions,and your old men shall dream dreams;18 even on my male servants and female servantsin those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.19 And I will show wonders in the heavens aboveand signs on the earth below,blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;20 the sun shall be turned to darknessand the moon to blood,before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;my flesh also will dwell in hope.27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,or let your Holy One see corruption.28 You have made known to me the paths of life;you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at my right hand,35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV)

14 Then the Lord will appear over them,and his arrow will go forth like lightning;the Lord God will sound the trumpetand will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.15 The Lord of hosts will protect them,and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,and be full like a bowl,drenched like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the Lord their God will save them,as the flock of his people;for like the jewels of a crownthey shall shine on his land.17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!Grain shall make the young men flourish,and new wine the young women. (ESV)

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (ESV)